Elegant cocktail dress in velvet, satin and lurex

To us, an elegant cocktail dress is one where a single detail does the talking and everything else stays quiet. That might be a slit, a wrap, one bare shoulder or simply the depth of velvet. We’ve grouped ours by the evening you’re dressing for, in mini and midi lengths.

Dinner out, a birthday toast, a date

Restaurant light is yellow. That matters, because chocolate velvet glows warmer than black under it and is softer on your face. Our wrap mini in that shade is sewn from stretch velvet, with draping that gathers near the waist and an asymmetric hem. Gold earrings suit the brown.

Prefer a paler shade? The powder pink wrap mini in velvet is about color more than shine. A powder lurex wrap gives a low shimmer for nights when silver or gold would feel loud. And if you’d like one bold line, the white velvet midi bares a single shoulder while a long sleeve wraps the opposite arm. Keep that one for an engagement party or your own celebration, never for someone else’s wedding.

Theater, a business dinner and the office party

Some rooms call for a closed silhouette. The black velvet turtleneck midi has long sleeves, and it’s our answer for the theater or a dinner with partners. In emerald, a similar high-neck midi adds a narrow belt at the waist. Want one daring touch? The blue velvet midi with a stand collar is closed at the neck and arms and then opens in a slit at the leg, so it’s bold and still proper.

A V-neck does a different job. On the black velvet midi, the triangle opens up the collarbones and lengthens the neck, which is why it needs no decoration at all. Rib-knit turtleneck midis with a slit, in black or red, are the ones to wear from the office straight to an evening in town.

Summer cocktails on a terrace

June evenings want lighter cloth. Our satin wraps in white and emerald are smooth polyester with elastane, not natural silk, and they have long sleeves over a short hem. Ruffles circle the waist of our green satin midi, which has short sleeves and a V at the neck. For a June graduation party we’d pick the light blue wrap with a ruffled skirt, or a white midi with violet flowers that covers the knee. These are seasonal styles, and you’ll see them in the catalog again once it’s warm.

Every elegant cocktail dress here comes in XS to XL. Narrow it down through the full cocktail collection, black cocktail styles, cocktail midis or ones with long sleeves.